Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara
Our Mission
To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Our History
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara has a long history in the Santa Barbara Community. The first local Boys Club was opened in Westside Santa Barbara in 1938, when the Club was first organized, there were only 10 boys as members. In 1947 the Club moved to its present location at 632 E. Canon Perdido Street. An Alumni Association was formed in 1985 to supplement and support the Club.
Teen Center--Career Speaker Series
In our Career Speaker Series we bring in a different individual each week representing a specific Career from our community year round. Each speaker answers a general list of questions devised by our Teens about their career including:
What is a normal day like for you?
- What path did you take to get to this Career? College?
- What do you have to wear?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What do you like least about your job?
- Is there a high demand for this career?
- How much money do you make? And is there room for growth?
By hearing about different careers straight from the people who actually work in these careers, our Teens are able to get a real idea on what careers may be good options for them.
By giving teens an idea of what they might like to do for a living, we provide them with the motivation that they need in order to stay on track and do well in school. Teens that set goals for their future are much more likely to succeed than teens that do not, and by planting a seed in a teen’s brain of a possible career path we are giving them a reason to set goals for themselves.